--- title: "Quick start" url: "https://docs.yugabyte.com/stable/quick-start/kubernetes/" --- # Quick start Get started using YugabyteDB in less than five minutes on Kubernetes (Minikube). Get started in less than 5 minutes in the cloud or on your desktop - [![Cloud Icon](/icons/cloud.svg) Use a cloud cluster](/stable/quick-start-yugabytedb-managed/) - [![Server Icon](/icons/database.svg) Use a local cluster](/stable/quick-start/macos/) The local cluster setup on a single host is intended for development and learning. For production deployment, performance benchmarking, or deploying a true multi-node on multi-host setup, see [Deploy YugabyteDB](/stable/deploy/ "Deploy YugabyteDB"). - [macOS](/stable/quick-start/macos/) - [Linux](/stable/quick-start/linux/) - [Docker](/stable/quick-start/docker/) - [Kubernetes](/stable/quick-start/kubernetes/) ## Install YugabyteDB Installing YugabyteDB involves completing [prerequisites](#prerequisites "prerequisites"), [starting Kubernetes](#start-kubernetes "starting Kubernetes"), and [downloading Helm chart](#download-yugabytedb-helm-chart "downloading Helm chart"). ### Prerequisites Before installing YugabyteDB, ensure that you have the following installed: - [Minikube](https://github.com/kubernetes/minikube "Minikube") on your localhost machine. The Kubernetes version used by Minikube should be 1.18.0 or later. The default Kubernetes version being used by Minikube displays when you run the `minikube start` command. To install Minikube, see [Install Minikube](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-minikube/ "Install Minikube") in the Kubernetes documentation. - [kubectl](https://kubernetes.io/docs/reference/kubectl/overview/ "kubectl"). To install `kubectl`, see [Install kubectl](https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-kubectl/ "Install kubectl") in the Kubernetes documentation. - [Helm 3.4 or later](https://helm.sh/ "Helm 3.4 or later"). To install `helm`, see [Install helm](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install/ "Install helm") in the Helm documentation. ### Start Kubernetes To start Kubernetes, perform the following: - Start Kubernetes using Minikube by running the following command. Note that minikube by default brings up a single-node Kubernetes environment with 2GB RAM, 2 CPUS, and a disk of 20GB. You should start minkube with at least 8GB RAM, 4 CPUs and 40GB disk, as follows: ```sh minikube start --memory=8192 --cpus=4 --disk-size=40g --vm-driver=virtualbox ``` ```output ... Configuring environment for Kubernetes v1.14.2 on Docker 18.09.6 ... ``` - Review Kubernetes dashboard by running the following command: ```sh minikube dashboard ``` - Confirm that your kubectl is configured correctly by running the following command: ```sh kubectl version ``` ```output Client Version: version.Info{Major:"1", Minor:"14+", GitVersion:"v1.14.10-dispatcher", ...} Server Version: version.Info{Major:"1", Minor:"14", GitVersion:"v1.14.2", ...} ``` - Confirm that your Helm is configured correctly by running the following command: ```sh helm version ``` ```output version.BuildInfo{Version:"v3.0.3", GitCommit:"...", GitTreeState:"clean", GoVersion:"go1.13.6"} ``` ### Download YugabyteDB Helm chart To start YugabyteDB Helm chart, perform the following: - Add the charts repository using the following command: ```sh helm repo add yugabytedb https://charts.yugabyte.com ``` - Fetch updates from the repository by running the following command: ```sh helm repo update ``` - Validate the chart version, as follows: ```sh helm search repo yugabytedb/yugabyte --version 2026.1.2 ``` ```output NAME CHART VERSION APP VERSION DESCRIPTION yugabytedb/yugabyte 2026.1.2 2026.1.2.0-b137 YugabyteDB is the high-performance distributed ... ``` Now you are ready to create a local YugabyteDB cluster. ## Create a local cluster Create a YugabyteDB cluster in Minikube using the following commands. Note that for Helm, you have to first create a namespace: ```sh kubectl create namespace yb-demo helm install yb-demo yugabytedb/yugabyte \ --version 2026.1.2 \ --set resource.master.requests.cpu=0.5,resource.master.requests.memory=0.5Gi,\ resource.tserver.requests.cpu=0.5,resource.tserver.requests.memory=0.5Gi,\ replicas.master=1,replicas.tserver=1 --namespace yb-demo ``` Because load balancers are not available in a Minikube environment, the LoadBalancers for `yb-master-ui` and `yb-tserver-service` remain in pending state. To disable these services, you can pass the `enableLoadBalancer=False` flag, as follows: ```sh helm install yb-demo yugabytedb/yugabyte \ --version 2026.1.2 \ --set resource.master.requests.cpu=0.5,resource.master.requests.memory=0.5Gi,\ resource.tserver.requests.cpu=0.5,resource.tserver.requests.memory=0.5Gi,\ replicas.master=1,replicas.tserver=1,enableLoadBalancer=False --namespace yb-demo ``` ### Check cluster status with kubectl Run the following command to verify that you have two services with one running pod in each: one YB-Master pod (`yb-master-0`) and one YB-TServer pod (`yb-tserver-0`). For details on the roles of these pods in a YugabyteDB cluster (also known as universe), see [Architecture](/stable/architecture/ "Architecture"). ```sh kubectl --namespace yb-demo get pods ``` ```output NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE yb-master-0 0/2 ContainerCreating 0 5s yb-tserver-0 0/2 ContainerCreating 0 4s ``` Eventually, all the pods will have the Running state, as per the following output: ```output NAME READY STATUS RESTARTS AGE yb-master-0 2/2 Running 0 13s yb-tserver-0 2/2 Running 0 12s ``` To check the status of the three services, run the following command: ```sh kubectl --namespace yb-demo get services ``` ```output NAME TYPE CLUSTER-IP EXTERNAL-IP PORT(S) AGE yb-master-ui LoadBalancer 10.98.66.255 7000:31825/TCP 119s yb-masters ClusterIP None 7100/TCP,7000/TCP 119s yb-tserver-service LoadBalancer 10.106.5.69 6379:31320/TCP,9042:30391/TCP,5433:30537/TCP 119s yb-tservers ClusterIP None 7100/TCP,9000/TCP,6379/TCP,9042/TCP,5433/TCP 119s ``` ### Check cluster status with Admin UI The cluster you have created consists of two processes: [YB-Master](/stable/architecture/yb-master/ "YB-Master") that keeps track of various metadata (list of tables, users, roles, permissions, and so on) and [YB-TServer](/stable/architecture/yb-tserver/ "YB-TServer") that is responsible for the actual end-user requests for data updates and queries. Each of the processes exposes its own Admin UI that can be used to check the status of the corresponding process and perform certain administrative operations. To access the Admin UI, you first need to set up port forwarding for port 7000, as follows: ```sh kubectl --namespace yb-demo port-forward svc/yb-master-ui 7000:7000 ``` Note If you've created the cluster with `enableLoadBalancer=False`, then the service `yb-master-ui` won't be created and you have to run `kubectl --namespace yb-demo port-forward svc/yb-masters 7000:7000` instead. Now you can view the [yb-master-0 Admin UI](/stable/reference/configuration/yb-master/#admin-ui "yb-master-0 Admin UI") at [http://localhost:7000](http://localhost:7000 "http://localhost:7000"). #### Overview and YB-Master status The following illustration shows the YB-Master home page with a cluster with a replication factor of 1, a single node, and no tables. The YugabyteDB version is also displayed. ![master-home](/images/admin/master-home-kubernetes-rf1.png "master-home") The **Masters** section shows the 1 YB-Master along with its corresponding cloud, region, and zone placement. #### YB-TServer status Click **See all nodes** to open the **Tablet Servers** page that lists the YB-TServer along with the time since it last connected to the YB-Master using regular heartbeats, as per the following illustration: ![tserver-list](/images/admin/master-tservers-list-kubernetes-rf1.png "tserver-list") ## Connect to the database Using the YugabyteDB SQL shell, [ysqlsh](/stable/api/ysqlsh/ "ysqlsh"), you can connect to your cluster and interact with it using distributed SQL. ysqlsh is installed with YugabyteDB and is located in the bin directory of the YugabyteDB home directory. To open the YSQL shell (ysqlsh), run the following. ```sh $ kubectl --namespace yb-demo exec -it yb-tserver-0 -- sh -c "cd /home/yugabyte && ysqlsh -h yb-tserver-0 --echo-queries" ``` ```output ysqlsh (15.2-YB-2026.1.2.0-b0) Type "help" for help. yugabyte=# ``` To load sample data and explore an example using ysqlsh, refer to [Retail Analytics](/stable/develop/sample-data/retail-analytics/ "Retail Analytics"). ## YugabyteDB Kubernetes Operator The YugabyteDB Kubernetes Operator automates the deployment, scaling, and management of YugabyteDB clusters in Kubernetes environments. It streamlines database operations, reducing manual effort for developers and operators. For more information, refer to the [YugabyteDB Kubernetes Operator](https://github.com/yugabyte/yugabyte-k8s-operator "YugabyteDB Kubernetes Operator") GitHub project. ## Next steps - [Explore YugabyteDB](/stable/explore/ "Explore YugabyteDB") - [Develop for YugabyteDB](/stable/develop/ "Develop for YugabyteDB")